Since I became a parent...

Here is a random blog about things I do now as a parent:

1. What channel is constantly playing at my house? CNN? NBC? HGTV? Nope. Disney. Oh yes. I am well versed in Good Luck Charlie, Shake It Up, Mickey Mouse Clubhouse, Chuggington. The list goes on. The really embarrassing and sad part is that I find myself enjoying some of these shows....and singing their songs. Which brings me to #2.

2. I get songs stuck in my head. Songs like "The Hot Dog Song." If you know what I am talking about, you are singing it right now. Hot Diggity Dog!

3. In my former life, I might have been grossed out by bodily fluids. Not now. Drool, check! Spit up, check! Poop, check! Pee, check! Boogers, yep, those too! I put on my big girl pants, and have passed the gross out tests!

4. When I'm in public..... I am no longer embarrassed by farts. Cayden does it, and they often smell like a dead person. It's gross, but what can you do? He's obviously not bothered by tootin' it up in large groups.

5. Pre-Baby we could be found at Bonefish almost every weekend. Bonefish is really not a "baby friendly" environment. We have taken him there once and it went fine, but we are no longer frequent fliers. Our restaurants of choice must meet the following criteria: They must be fast. They patron population should be at a minimum. Close to home in case of a meltdown. These are baby friendly qualities.

6. Traveling any where is gauged by nap times. Did he just wake from a nap? Should he be going down for a nap? Is he napping now? These are important because nobody wants a screaming baby in the car for any length of time. Gone are the days when you can just hop in the car and go!

7. Going to WalMart is a chore. Even more so than before. Trips are quick. If you don't have a list, then you are doomed because you WILL forget something. The mind is not wired to think of things you need, while telling your baby, "It's okay! We're almost done! Just a few more minutes!" You always need a list.

8. Staying home is easier than going any where. Refer to #7. A sandwich will do for lunch and dinner, if it means not going to WalMart. The amount of items you need to go any where is intense. Diaper Bags with extra outfits, diapers, wipes, burp cloths, etc. If you are staying anywhere for any period of time you also need a sound machine, bouncers or other various entertainment pieces.

My life has changed dramatically, but darn it if it isn't all worth it!

Giggles

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Our Little Turkey

As you have seen from previous posts, Cayden is our little turkey. Although it would have been fitting to put him back into the turkey costume for Thanksgiving, we let him be his cute self this week. Before I get into all of Cayden's happenings, I thought I would post a little about what Heath and I are doing.

The entry way in our house is begging for some photos...mainly of Cayden. I knew when we moved in that I wanted to create a photo wall. Dead center is the canvas print we have of Cayden, because lets face it, he is the center of our world. In my semi-anal mindset I wanted to get a visual of the wall before I started hammering in the nails. As I was trying to fall asleep last night, I had a moment. Oprah would call it an A-Ha moment. Anyway, I thought that I could create the "frames" with painter's tape. I could move them around, and get everything just right before I put holes in the wall. I think it turned out pretty well. It gives me the basic idea. Thanks to Heath for helping me with my madness.

My knitting obsession is still going strong. I have made a cowl scarf, and a purple hat like the green one above. The purple one had some serious flaws, but this one seems to be going pretty well. Sometimes I feel a little old ladyish with my new hobby, but when you look at all the fashion forward patterns online, I don't care!

Here he is. It's what you have been waiting for; it's why you have read the blog this far!

He is the sweetest thing. Honestly, he is happy 95% of the time. It seems that the past few days he has been a little fussier, especially at night. I'm not sure if we are keeping him up too long before bedtime, or what, but so far tonight he has been awake and crying more than he has been asleep.

This year for Thanksgiving we went to my mom's house. This meant an overnight trip. Our first. It was only for one night, but I am sure that we packed half of the house. Bouncer. Bumbo. Boppy. Diaper Bag. Endless supply of diapers and wipes. 1/3 of his wardrobe. Bottles. Breast Pump. (Anyone else notice all the things that start with B?) Burp Cloths. Formula. Frank. Taggie Blanket. I'm sure we could have brought much more! The trip went well. Cayden was pretty content...at least until bedtime. He woke up around 2, and decided to hang out with my mom for an hour before going back to sleep. Thanks to both mom and Heath, I got about 5 hours of straight sleep. It was nice.

Here is the little stinker. I think we were trying to get him to take a nap.

Since Thanksgiving is all about the food...we started giving Cayden cereal. We have been putting cereal in his bottles at night before he goes to sleep, but this week we started to thicken it up and use a spoon. The first time he was really unsure. The last few times though he does open his mouth for the spoon, unfortunately he hasn't quite mastered swallowing it once it's in there. I can see why feeding babies food takes forever!

He is getting much better at things. He is a better grabber. He sits assisted really well. He has a new fascination with people's faces. He loves to reach out and touch you, or stick his fingers in your mouth. On a side note: My mother has gone present crazy for Cayden. I'm not really surprised. I, myself, have purchased a gift for Cayden already, and have decided that I don't need or want anything this year. He is gift enough. Cute little thing. I think we'll keep him.

Four Months

Time is flying by. It's hard to believe that just four months ago Cayden was so new, and tiny, and so fragile. Now it seems like he changes so quickly, and is trying and doing new things every day. We had our four month doctor visit today, and Heath and I went in armed with a ton of questions. What can we do for eczema? Why does he dig at his ear with his fist? What is the diagnosis for his flat head? and many more. She was great at answering our questions, and seemed pleased with Cayden's growth. He is officially weighing in at 16.2 pounds (75th percentile)! It really wasn't as much as I thought. She said that he is growing steadily, so nothing to be concerned about..and No, I do not have a giant baby. He is 25.75 inches long (75th percentile) and his head is 16.75 inches (60th percentile). He had two shots as well. UGH. It is the worst. The look on their face basically makes you feel like the worst parent, ever. On a positive note, we got the green light to start introducing whole wheat cereal. Once he has grown accustomed to that, it's on to fruits and veggies!

Here he is at one month....

And at 4 months! That smile you see. It's pretty much the best part of my day. He is a happy baby for the most part. He is still wearing 3-6 month clothes, and really they fit fine, except in length. Things always seem too short. We are a big fan of footy pajamas. Really footy anything since baby socks do. not. stay. on. No matter what size of sock, they always come off. He has moved into the #2 diaper size, and I think he will be here for a bit.

New things:

* He is rolling over. He doesn't do it often, but he can.

*He loves his bouncer. At first he just hung out in it, feet barely skimming the ground. Now he can bounce! And the cutest part...he shifts his weight and feet from side to side, so now he has figured out how to rock the bouncer.

* He has starting echoing, or mimicking things. I make this sound where I suck in my breath, and then give him kisses. He started sucking in his breath too!

* He is discovering his tongue. He likes to stick it out (thanks to Heath for teaching him this).

* Anything he can grab onto, goes into his mouth.

* Lots, and Lots of drool.

Finally...He is sleeping in his crib. I know I'm not supposed to put things in the crib, but we figured out that he really likes to feel snug and secure. This is why he liked sleeping in the lounger. I knew I had to recreate that feeling in his crib, so I took two bolster pillows and put them at the front and back of his crib, and then put the sheet on. Now he sleeps in between them, and he seems to do pretty well. He is not sleeping through the night, but he is going for longer periods. Usually he is in bed by 730ish, and then he is up around 12 or 1. And then after that it varies. Sometimes its every 2-3 hours, sometimes he goes five....

Jeans are cute. They are not practical. Although the unbuttoning of pants is a common sight after Thanksgiving, we unbutton for comfort while sleeping.

Dear Cayden,

Is it possible to love someone more and more each day? You smile, and giggle, and my world is perfect and complete. You are growing up so fast, and learning so many new things. I know it will be no time before you are crawling, and walking, and eating solid foods, and although I can't wait, I can wait. I want to savor, enjoy, and remember each and every minute. With the holidays around the corner, there is nothing more I could want or need. I am thankful God gave me you, and He knew you are perfect for us. Thank you for being the best present. I can't wait to see what you do next.

Love,

Mom and Dad

He rolled over!

We set him down for tummy time and he rolled over like he had been doing it for months! Of course I didn't have the camera ready! I finally caught it!

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